unalienable rights
Birthright human freedoms
Unalienable rights are fundamental rights that cannot be taken away, surrendered, or transferred.
The phrase is most associated with the American Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Inalienable is the more common spelling today, though unalienable remains standard in historical and legal contexts referring to natural rights that exist independent of government.
- Declaration of IndependenceAmerica's founding proclamation
- all men are created equalDoctrine of inherent human equivalence
- self-evident truthsClaims accepted without argument
- natural lawInherent moral principles
- freedom of religionRight to practice any faith
constitutional law · John Locke · consent of the governed · Magna Carta · moral philosophy · social contract · Thomas Jefferson · liberty · universalism · equality · human dignity · fair trial · rule of law · authoritarianism · property ownership · legal protections · American Revolution · due process
- American RevolutionDeclaration of Independence, Boston Tea Party, Continental Congress, founding fathers, Stamp Act
- Founding Principlesconsent of the governed, popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances
unalienable rightsprivileges
Rights granted to some
statutory rights · licenses · permissions · concessions · franchises
unalienable rightscitizenship rights
Protections granted to nationals
unalienable rightsslavery
Ownership of people
bondage · servitude · subjugation · tyranny · oppression
unalienable, inalienable, alien, alienable, alienate, alienated, alienating, alienation, right